Light at the End of the Tunnel {Bethyl Fanfic}

Chapter 19

Chapter 19:
His POV

She kisses my cheek. I tighten up, but relax. It's only Beth.

"G'Night Mr. Dixon." She says smilin'.

I do somethin' I thought I'd never do in my life.

I kiss the top of her head hesitantly.

This time she tenses.

"G'Night Greene." I say smiling into the fire.

Five minutes pass, and Beth is fast asleep.

"You're turnin' into a pussy!" I hear Merle's voice over and over in my head.

I shake it away.. but Merle actually has a point.

I'm too old fer her. She's only about eighteen maybe almost nineteen. Here I am in my mid thirties, maybe almost forty. I don't fuckin' know anymore.

All I know, is that Hershel wouldn't approve of it. I couldn't do that to his daughter.

I look away from the fire and I see Rick and Glenn smilin' at me, but Maggie and Carol look confused. Not angry, just confused.

I look back into the fire, but that doesn't stop Rick from comin' over to talk to me.

"Hey brother." Rick whispers as he sits down next to me.

"Rick.. listen. I don't wanna have this talk right now. " I tell him and rub my eye.

"It won't be long. I just wanted to ask you somethin'." He says and I look at him.

"What?" I shrug.

"Beth is a strong girl, and I love her like a daughter. I just want to know, if there is anythin' goin' on between you two?" Rick asks and I don't know whether to lie or tell the truth.

"I don't know. We got close, I told her things that I never told nobody. When they took her away, I got so angry, it was my fault. I'm just afraid its gonna happen again." I tell him lookin' into the fire still.

"I understand that. Do you think she thinks there is somethin' there?" He asks.

"I'm not sure. She might, and I wouldn't mind. Rick, if anythin' were to happen, I'd be too old for her. Hershel wouldn't want that, and I couldn't do that to him." I don't know why I'm tellin' Rick all of this. But if he says that he's my brother. I trust him with my life.

"Hershel would want his daughter to be happy. Just think about that." With that, he gets up and leaves me lookin' into the fire.

As I'm sittin' here , I hear a rustlin' in the bushes.

Rick stands up with his knife out, and I lean Beth on a bag as I get up, so she doesn't hit her head on the log.

I have my crossbow in hand as a hoard of walkers comes out of the brush no less than ten feet away.

"Beth!" I scream and she wakes up jumpin' to her feet. She winces slightly at the pain, but that doesn't stop her.

Everyone quickly packs their shit and starts runnin'.

Beth is in front of me, Tyreese is helpin' her run.

I turn around and stab and walker with an arrow. I get another one and kick another one down before turnin' around to run.

We reach the road and find a bunch a cars. Everyone splits up and hides inside them.

I'm in my own car, layin' down under the back seat.

The hoard ambles on across the road and back into the woods. Everyone waits an extra fifteen minutes or so before emerging from their cars.

Maggie, Glenn, and Noah come out if a van. Rick, Carl, Michonne, and Judy out of another. Abraham, Rosita, Tara, and Eugene from one. Carol, Sasha, and Tyreese from the last.

"Where's Beth!?" I ask in a panic. I look at Tyreese, he was the one who was with her last.

"She told me she was going to help you." Tyreese says panicking as well.

"I never saw her, she never came to me." I say turnin' towards the woods.

I go sprinting back inside and follow the tracks of where the walkers chased us.

"Daryl!? You find anythin'?" Maggie asks callin' from behind.

"No!" I almost shout back angrily.

I keep followin' the tracks, until I see them change slightly in one spot. They go to the left.

I run. Still followin' the tracks.

I emerge through the bushes, and I see it.

A settlement. Richmond. I walk towards the gate.

Beth is leanin' against the doors. I rush over to her.

She was lookin' down and didn't see me until I practically tackle her with a hug.

"Are you okay Daryl?" She asks.

"Am I okay? You disappeared completely. I thought a walker mightta gotcha. How dumb could'ya be?" I scream at her.

She cowers back away. I immediately feel bad.

"Bethy?" Maggie calls and Beth responds.

Maggie comes sprintin' out of the tree line and runs and hugs Beth. She looks her over to make sure she is okay.

"This is it." Noah says smilin'.

"Alright, we will break up into groups. Michonne, Tyreese, Glenn, Noah, and I will go inside. I want the rest if ya to stay hidden out by the cars, we will come back to get ya if its safe." Rick informs us.

I'm not too happy that I have to stay behind, but I have to keep everyone safe.

Maggie kisses Glenn goodbye and Sasha tells Tyreese to be careful. Beth gives Noah and Rick a hug and Carl gives Rick one as well, as Rick is tellin' him to stay safe.

Maggie walks with Beth helpin' her hop along.

They are slowin' everyone down. The faster we get back to the cars, the better.

I sling my crossbow over my shoulder, and walk up behind Maggie and Beth.

"Maggie, I'm tryin' to go faster I'm sorry." She says lowerin' her head.

"Screw that." I speak up lifting Beth up bridal style and walkin' along.

"Daryl. Put me down." She scolds me, almost like a teacher.

"Nope. Yer too damn slow Greene." I mumble.

"S'not my fault!" She aggressively answers me.

"Relax, I'm kiddin'." I tell her and she rolls her eyes.

"So now you want to be nice? Please put me down." She says sighing.

What does she mean: Now I want to be nice? What the hell is wrong with this girl.

I carefully let her slip out of my arms and she hobbles off towards Carl.

As I'm walkin' along, tryin' to figure out what Beth meant, Maggie comes up next to me.

"Did you say anythin' to her?" She asks. Not angrily, just blankly.

"Not that I know of." I grunt back.

"Yep you definitely did." She giggles.

"What's that supposed ta mean?" I ask aggravated.

"If you don't know if you did anythin' to her. You probably did, Beth has always been like that. Even if you didn't.. you did." She laughs again at her sister then walks up next to her.

What is up with Greene girls?

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I'm sorry it took so long to update. I know this chapter isn't the greatest. it's kind of just a fill in chapter. The next one will definitely be better.

Please vote and comment.

~S.B~